Change? Change is Good
by AtLoLevad
Summary: Rose told Dimitri she wouldn't get married before she turned 20. Now that her birthday has come and gone, she's anxious about his plans to propose. Lissa's announcement isn't helping things either.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay so the first scene of this came into my head and I couldn't not write it. I can't get enough of these four characters…I know I'm not the greatest at writing them, but I've been enjoying it. There'll probably be another chapter to this. I'm not sure yet. But I do have the next chapter in the works for 'Someday Comes Sooner than You Think' plus I have stories that I'm working on for the Olicity fandom and the Mindy Project fandom. **

**I will talk about VA, Romitri and Dragozera all day long. Come hassle me at my Tumblr: inbelikovwetrust**

**Please review, they mean so much to me. **

* * *

"Okay, yes. This looks bad. Like really bad. But I swear I have a good excuse," I said, standing straight when I heard Lissa cough behind me.

I turned, and wished I hadn't. She was leaning against the doorframe, a small smirk on her face.

"Please, I'd love to hear this one," Lissa laughed and bounced over to sit on mine and Dimitri's bed.

I winced as I took stock of the clothes all over the floor – Dimitri's clothes.

"Well…" I dragged out the word and threw myself down next to Lissa. I really hated to admit this, "Okay. So my birthday was last week, right?"

Lissa eyed me and nodded slowly, "Right. You turned 20. Christian and I are going to take you and Dimitri to dinner this weekend, by the way."

I smiled happily, "Oh, thank you. You don't have to, but thank you."

Lissa nudged me with her hand, "We want to. Now, continue telling me what your birthday has to do with you ransacking Dimitri's drawers while he and Christian are away."

I twisted my fingers together, "Well…I don't think I've ever told you this…but, do you remember when Dimitri and I went back to Baia to tell his family he was alive?"

Off of Lissa's nod, I continued, "Well, when we were there, Dimitri kept hinting that he wanted to get married. And Yeva, ugh that old bat. Well, she had a "feeling" that an engagement wouldn't be too far off. But I kept telling Dimitri that I wouldn't get married until I had a 2 starting my age."

Lissa was frowning, "Well, I mean, we've always thought you and Dimitri would get married."

"I do want to marry him! I just didn't want to do it while I was still a teenager," I said, sitting up and crossing my legs, "He's so much older, so I knew he would want to get married soon. But I really just needed to not have that added…thing." I trailed off.

"Christian and I got married while we were teens," Lissa pointed out. Which was entirely true.

"And that works for you guys. I mean, even though you have Jill, you need to keep expanding the Dragomir line," I said, "But…I don't have a line to continue and I couldn't be eighteen and married. That's just not me."

Lissa nodded, "I understand that, Rose. What I don't understand is why you're making these excuses to me."

I lifted one shoulder, "Because I don't want to admit that I was searching my boyfriend's drawers looking for an engagement ring."

Lissa's eyes widened, "Rose! How long have you been snooping?"

"Since the week before my birthday," I winced. Because I had been so adamant about not getting married before my 20th birthday, I knew Dimitri would wait. But I wanted to know if and when he got a ring, so I could be prepared.

Lissa covered her mouth, and I frowned when I realized she was trying to stifle giggles.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, "It's not funny."

"Yeah, it is," she finally uncovered her mouth and let her laughter out.

"I just like to be prepared…" I muttered, knowing it was a weak defense.

Lissa moved to rest her head in my lap, "Rose, you're scared."

"I am not!" I practically shouted, knowing deep down that I was lying.

"It's okay that you are," Lissa's voice became calming, and I knew she was thinking about using compulsion on me.

But when I opened my mouth, she interrupted, "Don't worry. I'm not going to compel you. I was just trying out a different version of my Court voice."

Now it was my turn to laugh, "Keep working on that, Queen Vasilisa."

Lissa rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her face. I knew that these past two years had been hard on her, but she really was a great queen. She'd already changed so many things for the Moroi, and in a good way. I was so proud of my best friend.

"Now," Lissa said, interrupting my thoughts, "The real question is, did you find a ring?"

"No," I sighed, "Thank God. I don't really know what I would've done if I found one."

"Well, you would have ruined Dimitri's possible surprise proposal," Lissa pointed out.

"I can't think about that right now," I looked up and saw the time, "They're going to be back soon. Help me pick up."

Lisa lifted her head off of my lap and let me climb off of the bed. I started picking up Dimitri's socks and underwear while she looked down at the mess.

"No way. You got yourself into this…" she trailed off, laughter in her voice.

I threw a clean undershirt at her face, "You're the worst, Vasilisa Dragomir."

"Hey!" she said, folding the white cotton and placing it next to her on the bed, "It's Ozera in private."

I nodded, cramming a pair of joke boxers I had gotten Dimitri for his birthday into an overstuffed drawer, "Right. I forgot."

"You'd better start remembering better," Lissa mumbled.

"Hmm?" I hummed absentmindedly. I was studying Dimitri's drawers with my hands on my hips. My Russian boyfriend usually kept his drawers and closet organized with military precision. He was so going to know I'd been snooping.

"I have something to tell you," Lissa said, bouncing a little on the bed.

There was a weird tone to her voice that made me turn around and take her seriously.

"What is it?" I twisted my hair into a ponytail and moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

Lissa played with her hands and chewed on the inside of her cheek, "Um…you're the first person I'm telling this to, so don't tell Dimitri or Christian. Okay?"

I eyed her warily, wishing I still had the bond. Reluctantly, I nodded, "Okay. I won't say anything."

"Good," Lissa smiled, "I think I might be pregnant."

I was almost positive my eyes popped out of my head and my mouth fell open, "What? You think?"

I was scared that Dimitri would propose to me and my best friend was going to be a mom.

Lissa tilted her head to the side, "No. Well, I know I'm pregnant. I just found out officially the other day. Can you say something else, Rose?"

"I'm trying…" I said. Lissa's news had rendered me completely speechless; something that very rarely happened. Dimitri would laugh when he heard.

Lissa's bottom lip quivered and – oh shit – she was crying. I threw my arms around her and hugged her tight.

"Liss. Come on, stop crying. Please," I begged. I hated it when she cried.

She sniffled into my shirt, "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I just want you to be happy for me."

She looked up at me, her green eyes still full of tears and my heart broke for her.

"Liss," I sighed, "Of course I'm happy for you. And Christian. I'm just surprised. I didn't think you two would start having kids until after you finished college."

Lissa let out a soft laugh, "So did I. But actually, I spoke with my advisor at Lehigh and I can graduate early, I have the credits and everything."

"That's great! How early? A semester?" I asked, my arms still wrapped around Lissa's shoulders.

"I can graduate this May if I want," Lissa smiled, "I mean, that means I'll have to spend more time at Court, but it was getting kind of hard being away so much and having to focus so much on schoolwork."

I nodded. It made sense. Ruling an entire race of people had to be a demanding job, and those Lehigh professors didn't make anything easier on anyone.

A thought occurred to me, "Wait, if you're leaving Lehigh early, does that mean I can finally quit going to school too?"

Lissa wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks while nodding, "There's no reason for you to stay if I'm not there," she paused and then said quickly, "Unless you want to stay! I don't want to stop you."

I felt a little bad as she said that. I knew that Lissa had taken my words to heart when I had said that I wanted to come first every once in a while. She wasn't exactly used to my taking the occasional time off to spend with Dimitri, but she was trying really hard.

I guessed things would change even more now that she was going to have a baby. Dimitri and I would have another Dragomir-Ozera to protect.

I smile formed as I realized exactly what was going to happen, "Liss! You're going to have a baby!"

She grinned, "I am. Oh my god, Christian and I are going to be parents."

"You guys will be great," I said, and I meant it. Lissa would be an amazing mom.

She was about to respond when we heard the door open downstairs. I took one look at the half-closed, jam packed drawers and my eyes widened in panic.

"Don't tell Dimitri," I whispered.

Lissa nodded, "As long as you don't tell Christian."

We shook on the agreement, laughing. When we heard footsteps and Dimitri shouting, "Rose, are you up there?" we fling ourselves into 'normal' positions.

Dimitri and Christian found us up in the bedroom. Lissa had cracked open one of the textbooks I left laying around, and I was flipping stations.

"Oh, hey Comrade, Betty Crocker," I looked up, faking nonchalance.

"Very funny," Christian scowled at me, but it was without any real malice. He leaned down and kissed Lissa. They started whispering to each other. The way Lissa held onto his arm, you would have thought he'd been gone for months, as opposed to eight hours.

I watched as Dimitri looked around the room before coming to sit next to me. He definitely had caught onto the mess in his drawers somehow.

He smiled at me, but said nothing.

"How was it? You both good?" I asked, resting my hand on his upper thigh.

"Mm…everything is fine," Dimitri kissed my forehead, "Was everything okay here?"

I nodded, probably a little too quickly, "Yep, everything is good. Nothing happened at all."

He eyed me, a skeptical look in his eye, but said, "Good. I think Lissa and Christian are good to head home now."

I smiled. Dimitri took his Guardian duties very seriously, but occasionally he loosened up enough for us to have some time alone together. It usually happened after he and I spent time away from each other.

"I think you're right."

Lissa and Christian made their excuses to leave a minute later. I didn't need the bond to see that they were planning exactly what I was planning with Dimitri.

"Can we talk more tomorrow?" Lissa asked as she hugged me goodbye.

I nodded, "Sure. I'll be outside your door bright and early…or dark and late."

Lissa laughed and followed Christian out the door.

I shut it carefully behind them and turned to Dimitri, grinning.

"I've missed you," I said, throwing myself into his arms. He hugged me, resting his chin on top of my head.

"I miss you too, _Roza_. I've wanted to have time alone with you for a while," he let go of me and leaned down.

Oh no. No. Shit. He was going to propose. Right now. Here, in the hallway. My throat closed up a little.

I grasped desperately at his shoulders, trying to pull him back up.

"No! Stop, not here. Not now."

Dimitri looked up at me, a worried look in his eyes, "Rose? I was untying my shoes."

His hands had stopped on the laces of his dress shoes, I noticed when I looked down.

Man did I feel like an idiot.

"Um, I knew that?" I tried.

And failed.

"Rose," Dimitri stood up and grabbed my hands, "What did you think I was going to do?"

I didn't want to admit my thoughts, but his eyes bore into mine and I couldn't help the words that fell out of my mouth, "I thought you were going to propose and I got scared."

I watched as the corners of Dimitri's mouth twitched and he finally burst out laughing.

I scowled, "Hey! It's not funny."

"Roza," Dimitri choked my Russian nickname out around his laughter, "Why are you so afraid of getting married?"

I wrapped my arms around my body and shrugged, "I don't know."

Dimitri's laughter faded, "It's just us. But if it makes you feel better, I promise I won't ask you to marry me until you're ready."

I leaned against his shoulder, "How will you know when I'm ready? I don't even know when I'll be ready!"

"I know_ you_, Rose. And you won't be afraid of marriage for long," he smiled softly, a special smile used only when I woke him up kicking and screaming from the occasional nightmare.

"Okay," I nodded. I trusted Dimitri. I just didn't understand why marrying him caused my such anxiety. Like he had said, it would still be us. Just with rings and a shared name.

A shared name.

Belikov.

Rosemarie Belikov.

Hmm, maybe I could get used to that.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'd loveeee your feedback on this one. I'm coming up with a few ideas for 'missed' proposals. But, I'm not entirely sure I like this one. I think it works in context, but please let me know =) Updates are going to be wonky, I started school on Monday, and I'm interning on Fridays, but I will update as much as I possibly can. reviews will probably help with my update speed ;)**

**Only 8 days until the VA movie! Can't wait you guys!**

* * *

I yawned widely and stretched my arm, practically whacking Dimitri in the eye.

"Hey! Watch it!" he murmured, voice sleepy, as he caught my fist.

"Sorry..." I whispered, tucking my body close to his.

Dimitri rubbed a hand over his eyes and looked at the nightstand clock, "6:15, we'd better get up."

I groaned, "Noooooo, can't the second guard be first guard today? I don't want to leave bed."

Dimitri laughed, "Come on, Rose. If you get up now, I promise to give you a surprise at lunch time."

I perked up. A surprise? Maybe it would be the long awaited trip to Tahiti.

"Okay," I said twisting my fingers with his, "I'll get up. But this had better be a damn good surprise."

Dimitri rolled over slightly so half his body was covering mine and kissed me.

When he pulled away, I was dazed in the best possible way. I had threaded my hands in his hair, so his face was only inches from mine.

"It's a very good surprise. But you must be patient," he kissed me again, too short and too quick, before climbing out of bed.

I shamelessly watched his muscles ripple as he pulled on pants and a shirt. He and Christian were going to work on securing wards today, so he was dressed casually in jeans and a long sleeved black shirt.

Dimitri turned around, a smile on his face, "See anything good?"

"Meh," I shrugged, trying to keep a poker face, "I've seen better."

Dimitri shook his head. He definitely knew I hadn't seen better.

"Come on, get up. We can grab breakfast together," he reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me from the warm blankets.

I got dressed, grumbling the entire time.

Dimitri kissed my cheek, "You look nice."

I looked down at my plain black jeans and dark red sweater, "Thanks."

"Now come on," he held my hand and pulled me through our house and down the stairs.

We walked hand-in-hand the few feet to Lissa and Christian's house. They had decided to live just outside of Court, a decision I completely agreed with. I wasn't always welcome at Court; it depended on who was around.

I wondered if they would have to move into Court full time after Lissa had her baby.

Christian was waiting by the door when we arrived.

"Morning," Dimitri greeted him with a very manly head nod.

I stifled a snort of laughter when Christian head nodded back.

"What was that, Rose?" he asked, turning to look at me.

"Oh nothing," I waved a hand, stepping around him and into the house, "I just didn't realize Lissa married a Lehigh frat boy."

"Funny. I didn't realize you were starting a comedy act," Christian laughed and punched my shoulder.

I hit his back, "Hanging around you for three years has given me so much material. Now where's Liss? Unfortunately, we have class and traffic getting to Lehigh will be a bitch."

Christian frowned, "I don't think she's going today. She was up most of the night, vomiting in the bathroom. Probably food poisoning."

"Why? Did you cook?" I asked, teasing him to hide the fact that I knew why Lissa was vomiting. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Dimitri frown. He had his suspicious face on.

"Ha ha, add that to your opening," Christian rolled his eyes, "But seriously, take care of her today."

I softened, "Don't I always?"

Christian nodded, "Yeah, she's just been weird the past few days. I hope it's not the spirit."

"I don't think it is. But really, don't worry. You and the Comrade over here had better get going. I'll make sure Liss is okay," I pushed Dimitri's arm, trying to get him out of the house.

Dimitri raised an eyebrow at me, "Rose? Why are you pushing me out?"

I whipped my hand away from his arm, "I'm not. You two are just going to be late. Wouldn't want you to get in trouble."

Dimitri blew air through his nose, "Rose, Christian and I are leading this meeting."

I threw my hands up, "Even more of a reason to head out. Don't want to keep everyone waiting. I'll see you for lunch, right?"

Dimitri sighed, "Yes. I'll call you to see where you are and then I'll pick you up."

"Sounds like a plan. Love you," I lowered my voice, not wanting Christian to hear me.

He smiled, "I love you too. Be n guard," he squeezed my hand.

I nodded, "Always am."

He laughed and walked away with Christian. Watching him, I wished he had kissed me good-bye, but we had agreed to try and keep all displays of affection separate from our Guardian duties. It didn't stop me form sneaking the occasional kiss during one of Lissa's speeches or one of the Court parties.

Speaking of Lissa, I had better go and check on her. I took the stairs two at a time, calling out her name so she knew I was coming.

"Hey, Liss. How're you feeling?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"I'm okay now. Last night was rough," she laughed, pulling a sweater over her head.

"I heard. Christian thinks you have food poisoning," I moved forward to pick up a few dirty towels.

Lissa looked embarrassed, "I know. That's what I told him it was."

I snorted a laugh, "He is aware that Moroi don't get food poisoning, right?"

"I think he just forgot. I've been kind of horrible to him the past few days,"

"Yeah, he mentioned something like that," I leaned against the edge of the dresser, watching as Lissa brushed her hair and pulled it into a ponytail, "So are you going to tell him?"

"Eventually," Lissa said, looking at me in the mirror, "I'm just…I don't know."

One look at her face told me she knew exactly how she felt. I just didn't know how she felt. I really missed our bond at certain times.

"You ready for Russian history?" Lissa asked brightly, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Liss," I groaned, "Do we have to? Dimitri can tell me anything I don't want to know. Plus what if you have to throw up again?"

Lissa waved a hand at me, "I'm fine, really. I just want to get to class."

"Fine, but I'm not making excuses for you," I grumbled, following Lissa out of the room, down the stairs and out to the car.

Lissa climbed into the passenger seat, "I don't need you to make excuses for me."

I slid into the driver's seat, happy, like always, that Lissa hated to drive.

"Will you be okay to have lunch on your own?" I asked, pulling the car out of the driveway and setting off down the road.

"Mhm, why?" Lissa asked, popping a piece of gum into her mouth.

"Because," I started, "Jerk! Move out of the way! Jesus Christ!" I laid my hand on the horn.

Lissa was laughing next to me, "And you wonder why Dimitri hates to let you drive."

I frowned, swerving the car around a white sedan that was moving way too slow, "I'm a great driver. I just happen to drive more defensively than Dimitri does."

Lissa nodded, a smile on her face, "If 'defensively' means 'like a manic that wants to get all of her passengers killed' then yes, you drive defensively."

I turned my head to face her and stuck my tongue out.

"Mature," Lissa laughed, "Anyway, tell me why I'm on my own for lunch."

"Oh, right!" I nodded, "I almost forgot. Dimitri said he was picking me up for a surprise."

Lissa let out a gasp.

I slammed my foot on the breaks, "What? Are you okay?"

She nodded, "Sorry! Yes, I'm fine!"

She looked okay to me. In fact, she was grinning like an idiot.

"What's the matter then? I thought you were having a heart attack!" I tilted my head, merging back onto the road, and flipping off several honking cars.

"It's just…Dimitri wants to take you out for a surprise," Lissa said.

"I know. I literally _just _said that," I shook my head, "Liss, does growing a baby make you forget things too?"

She nodded, "It does. But, hopefully not yet. I really want an A on my economics test."

I smiled to myself. Lissa was the top student in all of our classes, but she was constantly worrying about her grades. Even though I always pointed out that she already had a job and did not need to worry about her GPA.

"Anyway, Rose! Come on, are you telling me that you're not thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked, hitting my arm.

"Liss, if I were thinking what you're thinking, we wouldn't be having this conversation," I sighed, leaning on the horn again.

"Oh, well, don't you think that Dimitri could be planning on proposing?" she asked, practically bouncing in her seat.

I was the one who almost had a heart attack now.

Would he?

"No!" I exclaimed, panicking, "I wasn't thinking that! We talked that day you found me rifling through his underwear! He said he wouldn't propose until I was ready! Oh my god!"

Lissa's eyes widened. I don't think she knew how much her suspicion would affect me.

She tried to backtrack, "I mean, that's only one possibility! Maybe you're getting a pet?"

I looked at her, "A pet? Really? I don't think so."

She shrugged weakly, "Maybe you're going on a trip?"

"Oh god," I moaned, dropping my head to the steering wheel when we stopped at a red light, "I'm not ready for this."

Lissa reached out and rubbed my arm, "It's okay, Rose. Dimitri wouldn't do anything if you weren't ready."

I loved Dimitri, but I wasn't so sure about Lissa's faith in him.

Who knows what he was thinking.

* * *

I couldn't focus during Russian history. Not that that was a big surprise. I very rarely paid attention in class. Especially the Russian ones. Dimitri usually explained everything to be later, and in a much more interesting way than the ancient professor.

I tapped my pen against the notebook in front of me, nervously thinking about ways that Dimitri could possibly surprise me.

Lissa finally yanked the pen from my grasp twenty minutes later, after it had fully irritated her. I smiled apologetically at her,but she just rolled her eyes.

A text came from Dimitri around 11:30.

_~Christian and I are done. Are you still with Lissa?_

** ~yeah. on campus…Russian hist gets out in 15.**

_ ~Good. We will meet you outside._

** ~can I have a hint for my surprise? **

_ ~No. You'll find out soon enough_

I scowled at my phone. Stupid secret keeping Dimitri.

As soon as the class ended, I grabbed Lissa's arm and practically dragged her out.

"Rose! I left my pen in there," she muttered.

"Don't care. Let's go," I pushed her forward.

We ran out of the building and right into the two of them; Dimitri caught Lissa's arms before she could smack into him.

Steadying her, he asked, "Is the building on fire?"

Lissa shook her head, "Nope. Rose just couldn't wait to see you."

I scowled when she and Christian laughed, "Ha ha. Oh, Queen Vasilisa, you're so funny."

Dimitri laughed, "It's okay, Rose. I missed you too."

I almost collapsed form the shock. Dimitri was talking about missing me in public? Where was my 'no affection or talking that could give away the already very well-known fact that we're in a relationship in public' Guardian Belikov?

I saw Lissa nudge Christian out of the corner of my eye.

"We're going to go back to Court. I have some paperwork to look through," Lissa announced, looping her arm through Christian's and grabbing the car keys from my pocket.

* * *

"So…what's my big lunch surprise?" I asked, finding my voice again and falling into step with Dimitri as we walked towards his car.

Dimitri shook his head, "Not until we get there. And stop asking questions."

I tried to bump his hip with mine as we walked, "I'm a very inquisitive person by nature. You can't just tell me to stop asking questions."

"Rose, you're only 'inquisitive' when it benefits you," he muttered, unlocking the car as we got closer.

"Not true!" I protested, "I ask questions when I need to know stuff about you or Liss!"

Dimitri snorted, before starting the car and driving off.

I bit down the many questions I wanted to ask about where we were going. Instead of talking, I tried to change the radio station, only to get my hand smacked away.

"Hey! If I can't ask questions, I'm going to at least listen to music made this century," I tried to hit one of my preset station buttons.

"Driver picks the music," Dimitri said.

"Aw come on!" I groaned, "I only said that because _I _was driving!"

"Well now I'm driving and once the General makes a command all of her soldiers have to follow it," he winked at me, smirking slightly when he turned to look back at the road.

I slumped in the seat. Sometimes I really hated myself.

"You know I hate you, right?" I said, frowning as Dimitri's music changed.

"I am aware," he replied, pulling the car into our driveway.

I poked my head up and looked around, "We're home. This isn't anything special."

But as I said it, a little voice in the back of my mind (it sounded a hell of a lot like Lissa) said, _This is just the kind of thing a man planning a surprise proposal would do._

Dimitri stuck his head back in the car, "Are you coming?"

I hadn't realized that I was still sitting with my seat belt on, "Um, yeah. Coming."

I climbed out of the car slowly. The fact that I was walking as if I were going to my execution wasn't lost on me. I'm pretty sure normal women were excited when it looked like their boyfriends were about to propose.

Then again, my boyfriend had been brought back from the undead, so we weren't exactly _normal_ in the conventional sense of the word.

Dimitri had left the door to the house open for me since I was lagging behind so much.

I stepped inside and stopped short, "What the hell is this?"

Our entire living room had been peppered with pictures of a Russian looking building.

Dimitri sat in the middle of it all, looking very pleased with himself.

"Are we having some kind of Russian themed party?" I asked, "Are you going to make me eat bort?"

"Borscht," he corrected me, "And no. Take a closer look."

I looked at him, but took a step closer to one of the pictures hanging over our TV.

"Really?" I breathed out once I saw the writing on the buildings.

I could head Dimitri laugh behind me, and then his hands slid around my waist, "What do you think?"

"The Corn Palace?" I laughed.

He nodded against my hair, "The Corn Palace."

I turned in his arms, "What _exactly_ is this all about?"

"We, Rose Hathaway, are taking a vacation," Dimitri said, "Starting at the Corn Palace in South Dakota and ending in Baia to spend my birthday with my family."

"Wait? Your birthday's in November. We're going to be gone eight months?" I asked, slightly panicked. There was no way I could leave Lissa unguarded for so long. Especially now that she was pregnant. And yes, she would have other guardians, but they weren't as good as I was.

Dimitri shook his head, "We're leaving in October. I managed to wrangle a couple of weeks off for us, but I had to plan it ahead of time."

I smiled, "So we're going to spend two months completely on our own travelling the world?"

"Is that okay?" he looked worried. I leaned up and cupped his face, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

"It's the best surprise I could have ever gotten," I said honestly. Dimitri and I never got to spend that much time together completely uninterrupted.

"I'm glad," he kissed me again, harder this time.

Surprise trip around the world, and sex in the afternoon?

This was a very good day.

He may not have proposed (Thank God), but Dimitri and I were about to become world travelers.

Now to tell my hormonal, pregnant best friend that I was going to be leaving her for two months.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Chapter 3 is here! I like this one. There's Romitri smut about halfway down. It's minor, but it's there. The next chapter will probably be shorter, but I'm not sure yet. Please leave me reviews, they literally make my day =) **

* * *

"Rose?"

I snapped my head up when Lissa's voice startled me from my thoughts of Dimitri and the Corn Palace.

"Huh?"

Lissa shook her head, "You've been weirdly spacey the past few days. What's going on?"

I wrinkled my nose. I'd been trying to come up with the best possible way to tell Lissa that Dimitri and I would be on vacation for two months. I'd come up with nothing.

So far, my best option was telling her and then running away. I was stronger than her, but I'd see her pregnancy hormones in full swing over the past few days, and I was terrified by how fast she went form one extreme to another.

"Um, just thinking. Planning. The usual Rose Hathaway plots that get Dimitri nervous," I joked.

Lissa narrowed her eyes as she looked at me. I could tell she wasn't buying it. But before I could open my mouth to come up with another (hopefully better) excuse, she shook her head.

"Okay. I can't deal with that now. I'm trying to think of ways to tell Christian about the baby. And my Russian history paper isn't done," she tapped her fingers against the table.

I rolled my eyes, laughing, "Liss, that paper's not due for another three weeks. You have plenty of time."

She ignored me, as usual whenever I said something about school.

"I know that Christian and I have talked about having kids, but I just never thought it would be this soon. What if we're not ready? What if I'm not ready?" she twirled a piece of hair around her finger and chewed at her lower lip.

Lissa's latest mood swings varied from self-doubt in her future parenting skills to desire to start decorating a nursery.

I'd heard it all, so this didn't phase me in the slightest.

"Why not just hire a skywriter?" I suggested, turning my laptop away from Lissa and Googling popular European sights to see.

The few tears that had gathered in Lissa's eyes disappeared, "A skywriter? Really, Rose? How would he see it in the dark?"

I shook my head, closing out of the Google page, "I don't know Liss…we'll think of something."

She frowned, "I want it to be special. But I also want to surprise him."

I leaned back in my chair and blew out a frustrated breath, "I don't know…give him a wrapped up baby outfit."

Lissa sat up straight, "That's perfect! You can run out with me and we'll pick something good!"

I winced. Me shopping for baby clothes? With all of those, like, Vallium-ed women smiling their faces off? No thank you.

"Why don't you just order something? I don't have to come," I said, hoping Lissa would let me off the hook.

Lissa looked at me, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. Oh no. Here we go.

"You don't want to help me because you think I'll be a terrible mother!" she wailed, dropping her head to the desk and crying into her arms.

"Lissa! That's not true at all. I promise, I think you'll be a great mom! I just the shopping for baby clothes," I jumped up and wrapped my arms around her shaking shoulders, squeezing her tightly.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed, wiping her eyes, "I know you think I'll be a good mom, I just can't help but be scared."

I sat back on my legs, "It's normal for you to be scared, but can we cool it with the mood swings? I'm getting whiplash!"

Lissa laughed, "I'll try my best."

"That's all I ask," I smiled and sat down in my chair. I pushed my laptop towards Lissa, "Here. Look for some things to buy and I'll give you my opinion."

"Okay!" Lissa happily tapped away at my computer, oohing and ahhing every few seconds as she came across something cute.

My phone buzzed against the table, and Lissa looked up at me as I opened the message.

"Dimitri," I answered her unasked question.

"Oh! Tell him to tell Christian to make sure he's on time for dinner tonight, okay?"

"Sure," I nodded, tapping out a message.

_ Liss says to tell Fire Boy to be on time for dinner._

_**Okay. Did you tell her about the trip?**_

_ No. Did you tell Christian?_

_**He's happy for us. Says to bring back a bottle of good Russian vodka for him. **_

_Of course he did. I can't tell Liss right now. She's kind of….unstable_

_**Spirit?**_

_Hormones. _

_**?**_

I almost smacked my hand to my head. I had forgotten that Dimitri didn't know about Lissa's pregnancy. I slipped my phone back in my pocket, ignoring the buzzes that were coming from it.

"What was that?" Lissa asked, "Everything is okay, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, everything is perfect," I nodded, waving my hand.

"Good," she closed my laptop and slid it back to me, "I'm off. I want to run a few things by the council and then finish up my paper."

She gathered up her books and papers, an shoved them into her bag. I stood up, intending to follow her, but she stopped me.

"I'm fine by myself, Rose. Plus, You look very nervous. Maybe you should take a nap or something," she squeezed my hand and sauntered off.

"But, Liss…" I called after her, trailing off when she didn't turn around.

* * *

"I tried to tell her…I really did," I muttered later as I climbed into bed.

Dimitri stuck a bookmark in his Western and deposited the book on his night table, "Are you sure?"

I looked at him and scrunched my face up, "Okay, so maybe I didn't try as hard as I could have. But she's been really moody lately and I didn't want her to go off on me."

Dimitri opened his arms so I could crawl next to him, "That's another thing, Rose. What did you mean by 'hormones'?"

Shit. He was supposed to forget about that, brush it off as a girl thing. But of course he wouldn't forget, and Lissa would flip out on me if she knew that Dimitri knew about the baby before Christian.

My first instinct was to distract Dimitri. How?

Of course.

A smile spread across my face as I rolled my body so I could straddle his naked one.

"Fuck me, Dimitri," I whispered into his mouth, kissing him, softly at first and then harder once I felt his excitement under me.

Dimitri's hands were resting on my hips. They paused for a minute, as if Dimitri were weighing the benefits of dropping the Lissa line of questioning, but then they started moving up my sides, and I knew I had him.

I moaned into his mouth as his hands covered, and then started kneading, my breasts, and thumbs running over sensitive nipples.

I raked my nails down his arms, pressing my hips harder into his, feeling his hardness press into my thigh.

"Take charge, comrade," I moaned, letting out a squeak when he flipped us and sunk into my to his hilt.

I grabbed onto his hair and shouted his name as Dimitri thrusted, hard and fast, into me.

I screamed in ecstasy as I orgasmed, coming down from the high when Dimitri grunted through his own orgasm a minute or two later.

His arms trebled as he held himself over me, his cock still inside of me. I ran my hand over his back, letting him know it was okay to collapse.

Dimitri kissed me hard, sucking on my bottom lip before rolling to the side. Sweat dripped down his chest, just as it was rolling off of my forehead, and we were both breathing hard.

"That never gets old," I laughed, hooking my leg with one of his.

"I hope it doesn't," he smiled, one of the genuine ones that only came out after sex.

"You keep me happy, I keep you happy," I murmured sleepily, my eyes already half shut. Even after a quickie I always got worn out.

I tangled my fingers in Dimitri's sweaty hair and threw my body over his, planning on sleeping as close to him as I could manage.

I was _thisclose_ to sleep when Dimitri asked, "What's going on with Lissa?"

And in my sleepy haze I answered without thinking, "She's pregnant."

The hand that was tracing circles on my back stopped and my eyes shot open as I realized what I had said.

"Don't say anything! You weren't supposed to know!" I gasped, hitting his chest for emphasis.

He looked hurt, but his eyes flashed happily, "Rose, do you think that little of me? I wouldn't tell a secret."

I groaned, "I can't believe I told you! This is all your fault, plied me with sex and then got me to spill my guts."

Dimitri snorted, "If I'm remembering correctly, and I'm very certain that I am,

I groaned, "I can't believe I told you! This is all your fault, plied me with sex and then got me to spill my guts."

Dimitri snorted, "If I'm remembering correctly, and I'm very certain that I am, _you _ were the one to ply me with sex."

"Semantics. But you have to swear not to tell Christian or anyone. She would murder me," I dropped my forehead to rest against Dimitri's chest.

"Lissa's secret is safe with me, _Roza_," he whispered.

"Can't she just tell Christian soon, so I don't have to deal with this?" I wondered out loud.

"You do still have to deal with telling her about our trip," Dimitri pointed out.

I poked his chest, "You are _so_ not helping."

"Sorry, мой дорогой," Dimitri kissed the side of my head, "Get some sleep. Maybe it will be easier in the morning."

I doubted him, but rolled over and fell asleep anyway.

* * *

**A/N #2: мой дорогой means 'my darling' in Russian (Or so Google Translate tell me) Phonetically it sounds like 'moy dorogoy' (Or so Google Translate tells me)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This WHOLE chapter is all about Lissa and Rose - the first time I've ever done that! Let me know your thoughts and feelings about this. I really, desperately live for your ****comments =) And two chapters in two days! That deserves some reviews, doesn't it? Anyway, this updating streak probably won't be maintained, as I've got a busy few days ahead of me. But I hope you guys like this one, I'm pretty proud of it =)**

* * *

I made my way down to Lissa's room happily the next morning. It's amazing what a good night's sleep and morning sex in the shower will do to a person's mood. Dimitri had gotten ready quicker than I had after our shower so he was already with Christian on their way to St. Vlad's.

I was glad that they were teaching the young Moroi to fight and defend themselves with magic, but I could tell that all the back and forth traveling was taking its toll on both of them. Even Dimitri, all stoic and Russian and ready for anything, would much rather sit on the couch with me at night than go out and do something. It had even gotten to the point where he had admitted that he was getting tired of Kirova and her minions at the school (not that I blamed him).

Maybe Lissa and I could brainstorm a few ways to let them keep training Moroi, but also let them stay at Court more often.

I shrugged to myself. Another day, another problem.

"Lissaaaaa," I sing-songed, pushing her door open, "Goooddd morning!"

I dodged a flying book just before it made contact with my head.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands into fighting stance, "What the hell is going on?"

Lissa was sitting in the middle of her bed, face red and streaked with tears.

"How could you?" she shouted.

Oh crap. This was so _not _good.

I took a tentative step towards Lissa, holding my hand out as if she were a dog I was trying to get to recognize me. I snatched my hand back when I realized how stupid I was acting.

"Liss, it was an accident. You know Dimitri. He sexes me up and then I tell him everything he wants to know."

Lissa frowned and looked at me, her head tilted, "What? I don't understand. You told Dimitri that you wanted him to take you on a vacation?"

Shit. She was talking about our trip. Not the fact that I told Dimitri about the baby. Okay, maybe she'd overlook that one.

"Wait, what did you tell Dimitri that you think I'd be this angry about?"

Okay, maybe not. Think, Hathaway, how are you going to get out of this one?

Lissa was coming towards me now, "Rose, what did you tell him?"

I winced, "I may have slipped about the baby. But don't worry! He swore he wouldn't say anything to Christian. And you know Dimitri and his promises."

Lissa's eyes widened in shock and, ouch, betrayal, "I can't believe you told him. You promised you wouldn't say anything. Rose, it's not fair that you keep telling Dimitri things that I don't want you to."

I tried to take a step towards her, but I was met with a wall of air and I fell backwards.

"Dammit, Liss. You don't have to use magic against me," I grumbled, pulling myself up. She specialized in spirit, but that didn't mean her other magic skills were lacking. Walking into an air wall hurt just as much when it came from someone who hadn't specialized in air.

Lissa narrowed her eyes at me, "You deserved it."

I frowned as I watched Lissa scratch at her arm. Oh no, we were so not going down this road again. I couldn't watch Lissa self-destruct, not with Baby Dragomir on the way.

"Lissa," I took hold of her arm, gently, "You have to talk to me. You can't get in your head again. Have you been using too much spirit?"

I looked down at her arm, no cuts, but it was red from all the scratching.

Lissa looked away from me, "No."

I sighed, "You have been. Don't lie to me. I'm not in your head anymore, so how can I help you if you don't talk to me?"

I led her to the edge of the bed and we sat down, Lissa resting her head on my shoulder.

She was quiet for a little bit and then I could feel her shaking under my arm.

"Oh, Liss," I sighed. It was times like this when I really missed our bond. I needed it to help her, to take away her darkness.

"I thought I was controlling it," she cried into my shoulder, "I really did. But then Christian mentioned that I've been kind of moody and I've been itchy and…"

I hugged her tighter, "Lissa, this is not your fault. And you were doing so well, it's okay to lose control for a little bit. Just as long as you don't lose yourself again."

"What if it happens to the baby?" she whispered.

"What? Spirit or you…um…feeling the effects of it?" I wondered. Maybe now we were getting to the actual cause of Lissa's anxiety and relapse.

"Either…both," she admitted, pulling her head form my shoulder and looking at me, "I don't want either one to happen to it."

"Well," I said, "The odds of him or her being a spirit user and really small. So let's not worry about that one right now, okay?"

She nodded, "Okay. But what about me? What if I lose it?"

I blew out a breath of air. How could I promise she wouldn't, when I couldn't take away her darkness? How could I tell her she'd be okay, when I didn't know if she would be?

"You'll power through," I said, slowly, trying to find the right words, "If you lose it, I'll be here, helping in every way that I can. And so will Christian and Dimitri. You're no alone, Liss. I know you want – need- to use spirit, but that doesn't have to be everything. You don't have to go healing every animal that flies into your path."

She looked down at her shaking fingers, "You're right."

I laughed, "Of course I'm right. I'm Rose Hathaway."

She didn't laugh like I had wanted her to, but she did smile a little bit. I took it as a victory for now.

I grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the bed, "Come on, Your Highness, I'm pretty sure it's breakfast time, and your Guardian has the biggest craving for chocolate croissants."

Lissa was quiet as I walked next to her, but not the kind of quiet I'd come to equate with trouble. The kind of quiet that can only happen when you're with a person you trust the most in the world.

We were all the way down in the cafeteria before I realized that Lissa and I had never talked about mine and Dimitri's upcoming (well, in a few months) vacation.

Probably for the best, I thought, chewing on a hunk of French pastry, with Lissa possibly losing it to spirit, there was no way I'd leave her for two months. Two hours would be too long for her to be without me.

I sighed into my orange juice, I'd have to explain this all to Dimitri when he got back from St. Vlad's.

Which, I realized, wouldn't be until Friday. Dimitri and Christian always stayed at the school from Wednesday to Friday, training and going over curriculum to be taught when they weren't at the school.

Lissa was cheerier after her morning feed and she was sipping carefully on juice.

"So," she said, resting her chin in her hand and looking at me, "Now that I'm in no danger of throwing a book at your head, will you tell me about this trip you're going to be taking?"

"Eh," I muttered around a mouthful of bacon, "The trip's probably not going to happen, so why tell you about it?"

"What do you mean, 'not going to happen'?" Lissa asked, leaning back and resting her hands on her stomach.

"I mean, I'm going to tell Dimitri to cancel the trip. I can't – " I cut myself off. I wouldn't let Lissa know she was the reason I had to stay behind.

Of course, she caught on. My best friend was many things, but stupid was not one of them.

"You can't leave me behind, right?" she asked, a little sadly.

"Um…" I couldn't exactly lie. I hadn't been quiet about my desire to spend more alone time with Dimitri, even if I was paranoid that he'd propose every time we were alone in a room together.

"This morning was just a blip. Really, I'm fine. Or at least I will be," Lissa frowned and then smiled again, "I don't need you attached at my hip, Rose. I do have Christian. And it's only, what? A week? I'll be fine."

"It's not that I don't think you can do it. Because I know you can," I said, the words falling out of my mouth quickly, "It's just that we'll both be gone for two months and it's going to be in October, so you'll be really pregnant and…" I stopped when I say Lissa's eyes widen, "What?"

"Two months?" she repeated, her finger nervously twisting her wedding and engagement rings.

I nodded, "October and November."

"Oh, Christian never said," she chewed on her lip, "Doesn't matter. You have to go! I know how brutal it's been for you and Dimitri being apart for so long."

"We've been through worse," I said quietly, my mind flashing painfully back to the cave and the bridge before I brushed the memories away.

"I know, but I'd hate it if I was the one keeping you two from a much needed vacation," Lissa nodded, "It's decided. You're going."

"What if you need me?" I asked, polishing off my fourth croissant.

"You have a phone and I'm sure Abe can hook you up with a plane even if you go to the middle of nowhere," Lissa laughed.

I shrugged, "He's good for something, dear old dad."

"You love him, don't even try to deny it," Lissa pushed back her chair and stood up, ready to get started on her duties.

"It's better than not having a dad, I'll give you that," I said, a smile on my face.

We fell into step together, hands bumping.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," I said after a minute or two of walking, "I was going to tell you yesterday and then…I just…didn't."

"It's okay," Lissa said, looping her fingers with mine. When I looked up at her skeptically, she nodded, "Really! It's okay. I'm not angry anymore, I promise."

"Good. I'm not the biggest fan of fighting,"

Now Lissa burst out into peals of laughter, "Rose! You'll fight with anyone and everyone!"

"Hey!" I exclaimed, "That's so…true. But I don't like fighting with you!"

Lissa laughed again, and I didn't care that it was at my expense. Anything that kept her laughing and happy and away from the darkness was fine by me.

"I don't like fighting with you either. Which is why you're going to go on your trip and everything will be fine. You'll be home in time for the baby to be born and I'm not going to lose myself. I promise," she smiled at me, showing off her fangs, and crossed a finger over her heart.

"Oh all right," I muttered, "But you have to promise to call if you ever need to talk, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," Lissa hugged me, "You know, you're the best Guardian any Moroi could ask for."

"I know," was my response, but I couldn't help but feel the stirrings of danger.

It was stupid, but I just knew something bad was going to happen because of this trip.

Lissa pulled away from me and opened the door to her office, "Come on! You can help me pick a baby outfit to give Christian and I'll help you pick out new outfits for your European Odyssey."

I let myself be dragged into the ornately decorated office and flopped down on the couch.

Lissa and I spent the better part of the morning searching through clothes online, both baby and dhampir sized, until she was happy with everything.

I had tried my hardest to talk Lissa away form a onesie that said 'My Daddy's Smoking Hot' but she wouldn't budge.

"If Christian doesn't catch the importance of this onesie," I said, as Lissa ordered the tiny item of clothing, "He's dumber than I thought."

"I can't wait to give it to him," Lissa sighed happily, "He's been talking about kids for a little bit now. But he keeps referring to them as 'Baby Dragomirs' and it's driving me crazy."

I raised my eyebrows; I guess Christian and I were more similar than I had wanted to admit.

"Oh yeah, that's a horrible nickname for them. I mean, everyone knows they'll be Baby Ozeras," I teased her.

"Rose," she groaned, pushing at my shoulder, "Don't encourage that!"

"What? He's not here," I looked around, smiling.

Lissa huffed in frustration, "Yes, but I'm sure you'd end up slipping and saying it around him."

"You got me there," I agreed, "Although, I can't agree too much with Fire Boy in public. People might think we actually get along."

"The horror," Lissa mock-gasped, "Rose Hathaway actually enjoying someone's company. The world couldn't handle it."

"I have a reputation to uphold," I nudged Lissa in the side, "I am a no nonsense, dhampir Guardian. I can't get along with everyone."

"I think your best friend' husband can get a pass on that one,"

"I'll think about it," I said, tapping my finger to my chin.

"That's all I ask," Lissa said, smiling, "Let's go, we have to make it over to Lehigh before class."

"I can't wait until you finally drop out, so I don't have to suffer through class anymore," I groaned, following her into the hall.

"You'll miss it one day," Lissa tossed the words over her shoulder at me.

"Doubt it!" I responded, "Understanding business relations isn't going to help me fight off a Strigoi."

Lissa was quiet.

"Aha! See, you don't have a come back for that!" I pumped my fist in the air.

"Oh, fine. Most of the classes aren't going to help you," Lissa admitted.

"Can I get that in writing?" I asked, grinning as I traipsed down the stairs.

"No," Lissa laughed, "You'll just use it against me!"

"Never against you, maybe Dimitri or my mother. But not you," I held open the door for Lissa and she headed out into the sun.

I followed her, tilting my face towards the warmth. I managed to push aside the sinking feeling that was growing in the pit of my stomach to focus on the moment.

A different problem for a different day.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello my darlings! I am SO sorry for the long wait between chapters. I had spring break, but it was busier than I thought it would be. I originally intended for this chapter to cover snippets of them traveling across Europe, but now I'm making that the next chapter. So if you guys have any ideas for particular cities/sights/monuments you'd like them to see, hit me up with a review! I hope you guys like this one =)**

* * *

"Okay, promise me you'll call if you need anything or if anything happens," I demanded, pulling Lissa into the tightest hug I could manage.

Lissa laughed in my ear and hugged be back, "Don't worry, Rose. Enjoy Europe, for real this time. I'll be fine."

She stepped back and Christian wrapped a protective arm around her waist, his hand settling on the side of her massive baby bump.

"She'll be fine, Rose. I've got this covered," Christian said, smiling a little.

"But….the baby could come any day…" I said weakly.

Dimitri scoffed behind me, "Rose, you know that isn't true. Lissa isn't even due until the end of December, a full month after we'll be home."

Lissa nodded, "He's right. We'll be fine. World won't crumble while you're gone. And if you spend every second obsessing over me, I'll never forgive you."

I finally smiled, "Okay, okay. I promise to enjoy myself. Just…don't let too many days go by without updating me?"

Losing the bond had been hard at first, becoming easier with every passing day. But now that Lissa was pregnant, I really wished we were still connected. I hated being in the dark about her.

After our talk a few months ago, she'd been good. Not overusing spirit and I hadn't seen her scratch anything more than a legitimate itch.

I trusted Lissa and I trusted Christian to keep her safe. I just didn't like that for the first time, I wasn't around to be the _first_ one to be able to help her.

Dimitri tugged a little on my elbow, "Rose, time to go."

"Okay," I nodded, "Just…"

I leaned forward and hugged Lissa again. Damn, this was harder than I thought it was going to be.

"I'll be fine," Lissa whispered into my ear, kissing my cheek quickly.

I nodded again, shouldering my carry-on and leaving my heavier suitcase for Dimitri to carry.

A fact that didn't escape him as we climbed into the car.

"Why, may I ask, was your suitcase left for me to carry?" he asked, starting the car and speeding off down the long driveway.

I answered him as I waved good-bye to Lissa, "Because, you're a big, strong Russian man and I'm just a tiny little girl."

He snorted, "If anyone called you a 'little girl' you'd punch them in the nose."

I laughed, rolling up my window, "That's why I'm allowed to say it about myself. Just drive, comrade."

Dimitri took one hand off of the steering wheel and took my hand, "We'll have a good time, Rose. I promise."

I smiled, "I know. We'll be together, traipsing across Europe for two weeks. How could it be anything but perfect?"

* * *

"This is so not cool," I grumbled, shaking the water from my hair.

Dimitri brushed his hair off of his face and shook his head, "Who knew it was going to be so rainy in South Dakota?"

I sighed, "We should have checked the weather."

Dimitri grunted his agreement, "So what do you want to do now?"

I cocked my head and looked at him, "What do you mean? We're taking a picture and heading to the airport!"

"But it's raining!" Dimitri looked at me incredulously.

I laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him out from under the awning and back into the rain, "That makes it even better!"

I grabbed the camera from his jeans pocket and handed it to a passerby (who didn't look overly thrilled to be asked to stand in the rain and take pictures).

"Smile! It's a good memory," I grinned, screaming when Dimitri lifted me into his arms, bridal style.

I saw the photographer smile a little before I kissed Dimitri's cheek softly.

'What was that for?" he asked a minute later, after having taken back the camera and thanking the woman.

I shrugged, "Just…rain or not, I like being with you."

He tangled his fingers with mine, "I like being with you too."

"Let me see the picture," I snatched the camera from his lose grip and pressed the screen, "Oh no! I look terrible! We need to retake this!"

"Rose!" Dimitri exclaimed, "We've been standing in the rain so long I'm afraid we'll both get pneumonia. Besides," he poked his head over my shoulder, "You look fine."

"Fine?" I asked, "No way. Besides, I want to look amazing in these photos. It's a vacation, I have to look great for when everyone wants to see these pictures."

Dimitri shook his head, "Who is going to see these pictures?"

I started ticking name off on my fingers, "Lissa, my mom, possibly Abe, who knows with him, your mom, Vika, Sonya, Karolina, possibly Fire Boy, if Lissa makes him look, Sydney, not Adrian, Jill, Eddie…"

Dimitri clamped his hand over my mouth to shut me up. My lips turned upwards under his hand. I totally had him.

He sighed, "Let's retake it."

I gave him the camera and tucked myself close to his side. He held the camera at arm's length and pressed the shutter button.

I hopped to grab the camera, but Dimitri held it above my head, "Hey! No fair!"

"Rose," Dimitri said my name on a sigh, "It's cold, we're both wet and you look beautiful in any picture."

I let my shoulders droop, "Okay…we can head out to the airport now."

I let Dimitri loop an arm around my shoulder and lead me back to the overhang where we had parked the car. I had to admit, I was getting a little bit cold. I shivered against Dimitri's side and he tightened his grip on me.

"Can we get hot chocolate on the way to the airport?" I chattered, twisting my wet hair up and off of my neck.

Dimitri laughed, pulling open my door for me, "Of course we can."

I sighed, burrowing into the passenger seat and flicking the heat as high as it would go as soon as Dimitri started the car.

"You're a saint," I sighed, rubbing my hands up and down my arms.

"Why? Because I said we could get hot chocolate?" Dimitri drove the car out onto the street and turned right, just as the GPS instructed.

"No…" I paused, "Well, yes. But not just that. For taking me on this trip. For putting up with my crazy taking pictures in the rain. For just being there."

I turned to look out the window, not wanting to see Dimitri's reaction. I wasn't great with talking about my feelings, neither was Dimitri. But we were getting better.

Dimitri reached out and squeezed my knee, "_Roza_, you're the best thing to happen to my life. Even if we are going to get pneumonia from standing out in the rain."

I could hear the smile in his voice and a grin spread, unconsciously, across my face.

"I'll nurse you back to health if that happens," I promised.

"Just don't make me any soup," Dimitri laughed as I smacked his arm.

We drove the rest of the way to the airport in content silence. The rain finally giving way to blue skies as we boarded out flight to New York.


End file.
